Like a lot of hijacked bike-builds this SR500 project started out as a simple engine fix, as the bike was running poorly and smoking a bit, but the owner, James, quickly changed his mind after seeing another SR in the garage that Dave and the guys from Cerberus had just built. James' bike had the frame and wheels powdercoated in bright yellow with a black tank, whereas the SR the guys had just completed was finished in dark colors; blacks, grey, and bronze - simple, but classy. After chatting for a while the guys decided that since the motor was coming out anyway this was a good time to refresh his bike - and the build story began. "Upon disassembly, we found the rear wheel/hub had separated from the casting (apparently a common problem with Yamaha cast wheels) so we started looking at other options. We thought about doing the XT500 spoked wheel conversion, but it was going to be difficult finding the donor wheels, and kinda pricey doing all the refinishing. We already do SuperMoto wheel conversions on CBs, so we decided to go that route as well, using 17" SM wheels from Warp 9 Racing." "Rob from Warp 9 has always been very helpful in figuring out which 'set' we need for any given conversion, and this time was no different. We already fabricate our own brake mounts for SM conversions, being made from 6061 aluminum, and water-jet cut. They are fairly 'generic' in design, so they can be adapted to most bikes. Shinko Stealth 003s were fitted, 120 in front, 150 in the rear. Custom made 520 sprockets from Rebel Gears were gotten, and an RK 520 X-ring gold chain is used for tire/chain clearance. Minimal mods were made to accommodate the wider rear, as well as a set of our aluminum front fender mounts. The fender mounts allow us to place the fender where needed, and supply additional space to accommodate the MUCH wider front rim." The motor had been over-bored and needed a re-sleeve to properly rebuild it. "After discovering that the cost was about the same between a stock bore sleeve, or a 600cc bore sleeve, we went with the 600. A mild street cam was installed, and a complete 3 angle valve job was performed.While the engine was out, and split, we bead blasted all major components, and refinished them with Harley 'Med. Grey Texture' engine paint. We find it to be very tough, and heat/chemical resistant. All external covers were then stripped and polished. The bike already had a Supertrapp exhaust system, but James wanted a more traditional reverse cone mega, shortened to the rear axle. We also had fabricated rearsets, utilizing Tarozzi folding units, which required a little 'adjusting' on the exhaust run." The front-end is almost completely new. New fork legs, refinished sliders, new progressive springs and emulators, custom made fork ears - which allow the guys to place the headlight anywhere they want and use almost any side-mounted light assembly. James wanted dual gauges, rather than the single MotoGadget we normally use, so they had to source a pair of matching KOSO clocks from Digital-Speedos.co.uk. Click-adjust levers, new master cylinder, throttle, and switches round out the front-end. All the turn are LED, the wiring harness is completely re-made in-house, with all electrics under the seat inside a custom aluminum tray. A small Li Ion battery lives under the swingarm. Paintwork was the last thing to be sorted. "James wanted a Kenny Roberts feel to it, so we came up with the design down the center of the tank." The tanks was stripped to the bare steel and was almost perfect condition, so the decision was made to just polish it up, add a center stripe, and clear-coat the lot. The Cerberus seats are all made in house by Jennifer, one of their partners. The fenders were painted to match the tank, to bring some continuity thru the entire bike. "The rear fender/taillight is also a 'signature' item for our builds. We like the fenders to be visible, without a light perched on top, or a plate covering them up. A small 12 LED bar is mounted underneath the fender lip, mounted to a welded-steel license bracket. All 3 taillights work in unison, acting as running lights, signals, and brake lights." The guys describe the bike as being superlight, having dumped over 60lbs with just in wheels alone... All this translates into super-quick acceleration, razor sharp responses to rider input, and monster braking. Sounds perfect. See more from Dave and Cerebus Motorcycles on their Website.